MGG Pillai's articles in malaysiakini about the events are at best puerile theses full of non sequiturs and at worst dispatches of hate. I shall not give a point-by-point analysis as many readers have already provided excellent rebuttals.

The Crusades are of a bygone era and it is unhelpful for Pillai to try reviving it. The US President, as well as his father, the senior George Bush, have emphasised that America is declaring war on international terrorists, not Islam.

I am relieved that most rational Malaysians, including the Muslim readers, share the grief of the Americans over this wanton destruction of innocent lives and can differentiate between terrorists targetting civilians deliberately and the US military targetting military installations with unintended civilian casualties.

Dr N ('US tragedy: points to ponder', Sep 12) asks, "But, what about the lives lost in Iraq because of the UN-approved sanctions?"

He forgets to ask, "What about the lives lost in Kuwait as a result of the Iraqi invasion and the further atrocities that might have been committed by Saddam Hussein if the big powers had not intervened in his ambition to be master of the Arab world?" I believe we must look at all sides of the picture before any discussion can be fruitful.

If the US does move against the Taliban regime and their 'honoured guest' Osama bin Laden, one can expect innocent lives to be lost in such a war (as in any other war) though they are not the targets. A British journalist, Kathy Gannon of the [#4] Guardian [/#] says that "Giving up Osama bin Laden could be military suicide for the Taliban who still have several front lines north of Kabul, where thousands of their Arab allies and Islamic guerrillas from countries such as Uzbekistan, Pakistan and the breakaway republic of Chechnya are battling an anti-Taliban alliance".

With many Afghans disillusioned by the relentless combat, the local pool of warriors has run low, increasing the Taliban's dependence on foreign fighters - euphemistically called 'guests'. There may be as many as 6,000 foreign militants, according to one international observer who was among those evacuated from Kabul recently. Thus the Taliban are using foreigners to fight their own people!

There are various calls for restraint and they are made with good intentions. But how do you target terrorists who refuse to confront you directly and are not above using human shields? Certainly we cannot just forget about the whole matter for this will embolden the terrorists to strike again. We can only hope and pray that civilian casualties will be minimal in contrast to the terrorists' wish that they be maximised.

Dr N also asks, "How about the terrorism act of Israel on Palestine and South Lebanon?" Again he forgets to ask, "How about the terrorist acts of Palestinians on Israeli civilians?" These are the acts that provoked Israeli retaliation in the first place. By not acting swiftly to curb Islamic terrorists, Yasser Arafat condoned their activities, proving himself to be an unreliable executor of any eventual peace agreement.

As King Hussein of Jordan reminded the world at the Camp David Peace Conference before he passed away, Christians, Jews and Muslims all share a belief in the same God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But they differ in their perceptions of the one and only God and the selection of books to be regarded as scripture. However they have in common what Christians call the first five books of the Old Testament (the Pentateuch).

In the Book of Genesis, God promised Abraham that his descendants would be given the land which was then inhabited by the Canaanites. This was realised after Moses had led the Israelites out of slavery from Egypt back to Canaan - the Promised Land. During the time of Jesus, the Jewish state was under Roman occupation. In 70 AD the Jews staged a revolt which prompted the Romans to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple.

Since then the Jewish people have been scattered at all corners of the earth for over 1,800 years. In 637 AD the Muslims took over control of Jerusalem from the Romans, erecting a shrine, called the Dome of the Rock, at the site of the devastated Temple. In 1948 the Jews gathered in their land and declared Israel a state again.

The land demarcated in Genesis could constitute a vast area. Several Bible scholars contend that it extends from the River Nile to the Euphrates River. This includes the present Israel, Sinai Desert, Lebanon, Jordan and parts of Iraq and Syria. Because varying groups of people have occupied the land at different times the question of land rights is not an easy one.

Yes, there is a big problem here in finding a place for everyone. But can you expect the Israelis to go against God's instructions to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and trade this God-appointed land for an assurance of peace that may turn out to be false?